Todd Rutherford – an influential Columbia, South Carolina attorney and the current minority leader of the S.C. House of Representatives – was involved in a vehicular incident on Thursday morning involving a pedestrian.
What happened?
According to the veteran lawmaker, he was driving north on Assembly Street in downtown Columbia at around 10:30 a.m. EDT – preparing to make a left-handed turn onto Elmwood Drive. As he crossed the intersection of Calhoun Street – with a green light in front of him – he says a female pedestrian who was not paying attention to what she was doing stepped in front of his vehicle.
“Apparently the lady was walking across the street looking at her phone,” Rutherford told us.
Rutherford said he didn’t see the woman until the last second because she was screened by another vehicle – but that a nearby city of Columbia, S.C. police officer witnessed the accident. So did several other motorists whose accounts supported the lawmaker’s version of events.
“There was thankfully a police officer right behind me,” Rutherford told us. “Not like he came up behind me, he was right behind me – he saw it happen.”
Both Rutherford and the officer stopped and attended to the woman’s injuries – which reportedly consisted of a broken wrist and broken shoulder as well as several scrapes and bruises.
Rutherford was not cited in connection with the incident, he told us.
“I feel really bad for her,” Rutherford said.
This news outlet has requested a copy of the incident report from the city of Columbia police department. We will be sure to let our readers know when we receive a copy of that document.
[timed-content-server show=’2018-Jan-17 00:00:00′ hide=’2018-Oct-22 00:00:00′](SPONSORED CONTENT – STORY CONTINUES BELOW)
[/timed-content-server]Rutherford will be appearing in court soon in connection with another vehicular drama – as a plaintiff.
According to a complaint filed with the S.C. fifth circuit back in May, Rutherford is accusing another man of damaging his 2016 BMW during an accident that took place on Huger Street in downtown Columbia last September.
At the time of the accident, Rutherford’s vehicle was being driven by Megan Tyler Pinckney – a young, statuesque black model from Charleston who is a former Miss South Carolina.
In his lawsuit, Rutherford accused the defendant – Quincy Wade Shipman – of being “negligent, grossly negligent, willful, wanton, careless and reckless” in connection with the accident. He is seeking a jury trial in the hopes of collecting actual and punitive damages from Shipman – as well as legal fees.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our stories? Please feel free to submit your own guest column or letter to the editor via-email HERE. Got a tip for us? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE. Want to support what we’re doing? SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Banner: iStock